Background: Frailty is a common and clinically significant condition in older adults, predominantly due to its association with adverse health outcomes such as hospitalisation, disability and mortality. Exercise interventions have been shown to be a beneficial treatment for frail older adults. However, more high-quality studies are needed within this area to assess the feasibility and impact of these interventions in frail geriatric populations within different settings, and with regards to their impact on broader aspects of health and wellbeing.
Methods: This study will utilise an interventional, randomised, controlled research design in order to assess the feasibility (acceptability, demand, implementation, practicality, adaptation, integration, expansion) and potential impact (limited-efficacy testing) of a specially adapted resistance training intervention; aimed at improving the multi-dimensional health and functional capacity of frail geriatric care home residents.
Discussion: The most immediate implication of this research from a scientific perspective is informing the feasibility, and potential efficacy, of a proposed future clinical trial within this setting. Additionally, if the study proves feasible, and the limited-efficacy testing proves positive, this study also has the potential to lead to advancement in the care for frail geriatric populations within residential care settings; and the ability to measurably improve various aspects of health and functional capacity within this population. This study has been granted a favourable ethical opinion by the London Harrow NHS Research Ethics Committee and is sponsored by the University of Birmingham. The findings of this study will be disseminated through publication in open access scientific journals, public engagement events, online via social media, conference presentations and directly to study participants.
Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03141879. Registered 5 May 2017.
Keywords: Care home; Elderly; Exercise; Feasibility study; Frail; Functional capacity; Geriatric; Health; Intervention; Older adults; Physical activity; Residential care.